From Tehran, the Central Headquarters of Jatam al-Anbiya assures that the US mission ended in a military disaster. Colonel Ebrahim Zolfagari stated on state television that the Iranian forces destroyed four US aircraft: two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters. According to the Iranian command, the exfiltration operation, planned at an abandoned airport south of Isfahan, was repelled through a joint action by the Revolutionary Guard, the Army, the Basij militia, and security forces. To support their account, Iran released a video with images of aircraft wreckage and black smoke, describing the episode as a "new humiliating defeat" for Washington.
In contrast, President Donald Trump announced that the officer, a colonel and weapons officer, is "safe and sound" at a base in Iraq after one of the most "daring" missions in history. According to US sources, the operation was extremely complex and involved hundreds of Delta personnel and a CIA deception campaign to distract Iranian pursuers.
The pilot, who was injured and evading for 48 hours, was supported by MQ-9 Reaper drones with thermal vision that eliminated the militants surrounding him in the mountains. Regarding the lost aircraft mentioned by Iran, the US version clarifies that two transport planes were stuck in the sand or experienced technical failures on an improvised runway. Fearing that the aircraft would fall into enemy hands, US commanders decided to detonate and destroy them before sending three additional planes to successfully complete the extraction. With this action, Washington highlights having rescued three crew members in 48 hours, preventing them from being used as propaganda hostages.